Aeroplane.



W. R. FULLER.

AEROPLANE.

' Patented oat. 9,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET wm z l nventor 1 Attorneys M Z w N h a L Patented 001;.9,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 r I Attorneys w. R. FULLER.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. 1915.

WMZ/ ZRWMM Witnesses W. R. FULLER.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION mzo Nov. 8. I915.

Witnesses Attorneys WALTER R. FULLER. OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

AEROPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

Application filed November 8, 1915.. Serial No. 60,367;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER R. FULLER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county ofFulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Aeroplane,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to aeroplanes and 'has for an object theprovision of sustaining planes arranged above and below the car of themachine and which are maintained normally in a state of equilibrium byreason of the fact that the greater weight of the car and its contentsis disposed below the center of gravity of the machine and thus acts tohold the planes in proper positions relative to the horizontal undernormal conditions, so that overturning of the machine is prevented.

A further object is to provide sustaining planes either or both of whichare capable of shifting laterally relative to the car, thus to yieldmomentarily to sudden and unexpected side pressures, thereby relievingthe structure of the dangerous strains often resulting from thesecauses, the position of the car relative to the planes bein such thatsaid planes will be automatica ly returned to their initial positionsrelative to the car immediately after the laterally exerted force hasbeen removed. 7

A further object is to provide sustaining planes each of which iscapable of warping throughout its length, mechanism being provided forshifting any one of the corner portions of the planp or for elevatingany two diagonally opposed corner portions of the plane, the upper andlower sustaining planes beingso connected that the two will becorrespondingly warped. 1

A still further object is to provide planes capable of being bodilytilted throughout their lengths, I thus to change the angle of incidenceand permit head-on divin or volplaning, as when it is desired to o tainsuflicient momentum to insure a safe land ing in the event of the motorbecoming stalled, an angular adjustment or tilting of theplanes beingalso necessary in order to direct the machine upwardly.

A further object is to rovide simple and efficient mechanism un er thecontrol of the aviator and whereby either the warping or tilting of theplanes can be quickly and accurately effected.

planes relative to the car can be obtained.

With the foregoing and other objects in view 'which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention. Inthe accompanying drawings the preferred form of theinvention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a perspective View of an acreplaneembodying the prescnt improvements, only certain of the ribs of thesustaining planes being shown and the'driving mechanism beingeliminated.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the aeroplane, parts of the machine beingbroken away.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the two sustaining lanes and a portion ofthe warping mec anism combined therewith.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing one of the universal joints used inconnecting the various movably connected parts of the structure, thejoint being somewhat exaggerated for the sake of clearness.

Fig. '5 is a front elevation of the aeroplane in diagram and showing howthe upper plane is capable of shifting laterally relative to the car andlOWer plane.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 and showing how the lower sustainingplane is capable of shifting laterally relative to the car and to theupper sustaining plane.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing, in diagram, how the sustainingplanes can be warned by tilting one end of each plane.

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the other end of each plane tilted.

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the two ends of each plane oppositelytilted, thus to produce a double warp of each plane.

Fig. 10 is a like view showing both planes tilted bodily out of theirnormalpositions, as when it is desired to direct the machine upwardly ordownwardly.

. Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates astream-line body or car provided with a tail plane 2 adaptedto be tiltedto control the upward and downward flight of the machine. Extending inopposite directions from the car 1 are alining independently revolubleshafts 3 adapted to be rotated in any manner desired. For example,eachshaft may be provided, near its inner end, with a sprocket 4engaging an endless chain 5 mounted on a sprocket 6. The sprocket 6 maybe shifted by means of levers 7 within convenient reach of the aviator.

such as shown at 12 in Fig. 1 may be utilized. Obviously the ribs can beattached tothe strips 10 in any other manner proferrcd, it being merelynecessary to so connect the parts as to permit the plane to warp withoutbreakage of any of the parts or their connections. Struts 13 connect thestrips 10 of the upper and lower planes and are attached thereto byuniversal joints such, for example, as shown in Fig. 4:. Any

desired number of-these strut-s may be employed and it will be obviousthat they eonstitute loose connections between the two planes whileholding the planes properly spaced apart at all times. Separate Wires 14or the like may be provided wherever. desired between the two planes soas to constitute efiicientbraces. In the present structure only two setsof these bracing wires have been illustrated, such sets being providedbetween the ends of the two planes. The wires are extendedradially fromblocks 14 so as to be free to shift relative to each other. I

Pivotally connected to the sides of the car 1 at the top and bottomthereof or at any other points, desired, are crossed links 15 disposedin pairs, two pairs being located at the upper ends of the sides of thecar, while two pairs are located at the lower ends of said sides. Theupper ends of the uppermost links are connected to the strips 10 byuniversal joints such as shown at 12 I in Fig. 4 while the lower ends ofthe lower links 15 are similarly-connected to the strips 10 of the lowerplane. Suitable loo'se connections between the links and the car areutilizedso that the links are free to move in,

any direction relative to the frames of the planes and relative to thecar 1'.

Arranged above and below the car 1 are rollers 16 each made up ofsections connected by a universal joint 17. Secured to one side of thecar 1 at the top thereof is a pair of flexible elements 18 such as steelcords or the like, these flexible elements being extended over andwrapped about the upper roller 16 and being extended outwardly andsecured to the corners of the frame of the top plane, at one side of themachine. Similar connections 18 are mounted on the roller 16 andeonnectthe other side ofthe car to the opposite corners of the topplane. ranged under the car as before-stated and is similarly connectedto the end portions of the lower sustaining plane.

. Another like roller 16. is an '7 The shafts 3 can extend any desireddis-.

tances from the car 1. They may terminate approximately midway betweenthe ear and the ends of the plane or, as shown in Fig. 1, they can beextended to points between the extremities of the planes. Suitable meansare employed whereby the rotation of one or both of the shafts 3 willresult in the warping of the planes. One of these means includes a block19 carried by each. shaft 3 and normally vertical. 'Diverging upwardlyfrom each of the blocks 19 are connections 20 secured to the front andrear strips 10 of the upper plane, while diverging downwardly from theblocks on each shaft are connections 21 secured to the strips 10 of thelower plane. All of these connections are normally taut.

' A propeller 22 is arranged at each side of the car 1 close to the backedges of the sustaining planes and the two propellers may be mounted inany manner desired. For

example, shaft-s 23 can be journaled in brackets 2st extending laterallyfrom the car and between the planes. The mechanism for driving thepropellers has not .been illustrated as it does not constitute any partof the present invention;

In order that the machine may be enabled to float upon the surface of abody of water, a float or pontoon 25 is connected to the car 1 in anymanner desired and supported be low the lower sustaining plane. It ispre--' ferred to connect this car to a beam 26 extending under the lowerplane and'w'hich forms the bottom of a substantianlly triangular frame27 the upper portion'of which is secured 'to the car 'l'and extendsovert.helower'plane. A wheel 2-8 is connected to the front portion ofbeam26'a'nd frame 27 while spaced sup 'iorting' wheels '29 are connectedto'the rear portion of thefraine 27. Supplemental floats 30 areconnected to the end portiops of the lower sustaining. plane. Byprovidin mechan'ism s'uch as hereinbefore describe it will be a par nt-3It will be noted that the motor, passenge'r,

and in fact the greater portion of the combined' weight of the car andits contents is located below the center of gravity. Consequently thecar tendsto remain upright under normal conditions and acts as astabilizing means for'preventing the machine from overturning and forautomatically righting the machine after it has been shifted out of itsnormal position from any cause, while in flight. It will be noted,furthermore, that the car may be properly designated a floating carinasmuch as it is connected to the sustaining planes solely throughmovable connections whereby relative movements of the car and planes ispermissible.

As before pointed out, the control of flight is effected by means of thelevers 7 and the parts actuated thereby. In the constructionillustrated, when the levers 7'are thrust forwardly simultaneously thetwo shafts 3 are rotated and the upper corners of the blocks 19 willswing forwardly while the lower corners will swing rearwardly. Thus theupper corners will pull upon the upper rear connection 20 and pay outthe upper front connection 20, while the lower corners will pull uponthe front-lower con-i nection.21 and pay out the rear lower con--nection 21. This action will result in pulling upwardly upon the frontportion of the lower plane throughout the length of said plane, andpulling downwardly on the rear portion of the upper plane throughout thelength thereof. Theupward thrust of the front portion of the lower planewill be transmitted through the front strut 13 to the front portion ofthe upper plane, while the downward thrust exerted by the rear portionof the upper plane will be transmitted through the rear strut 13 to therear portion of the lower plane. Consequently the angle of incidence ofboth lanes will be changed simultaneousl and t e machine will bedirected upward y while in flight. This ascent can of course be assistedby manipulatin the tail plane 2 in the usual manner. 0 viously bydrawing the levers 7 rearwardly, the tilting of thesustaining planes canbe reversed, thus to produce a forward dive or volplane, therebyenabling the aviator to attain sufficient momentum to insure a safe andeasy landing should the propelling mechanism become ineffective from anycause. The lateral balance of the machine and the steering thereof iseffected by warping the two sustaining planes throughout their lengths.Some of the warping actions which can be produced have been illustrateddiagrammatically in Figs. 7 8 and 9. For example, byholding one lever 7stationary and thrusting forwardly on the other lever, the planes willbe held fixed at one end while the. other ends of the two planes will betilted, as shown for example in 'Fig. 7, thus producing a warped effectthroughout the-length'of the planes. By holding the other leverstationary and thrusting the first mentioned lever forwardly, thewarping action can be reversed, as shown in Fig. 8. A double warp can beproduced as shown in Fig. 9 by moving the two levers 7 in oppositedirections s'im'ulta-' nec-usly. By having the planes so mounted andconstructed as to be capable of warping throughout their lengths,greater efliciency" is attained and-a more prompt response to the actionof the levers 7 results than where a limited area only can be warped.

The loose connections'between the links 15 and the sides of the carandthe upper and lower planes permit lateral shifting of the planesrelative to the car as shown in diathlS lateral movement of the parts,such adjustment being permitted by reason 'of the. factthat theconnections 'are wound about the rollers 16 andsaid rollers will thusshift laterally as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 during the lateral shifting oftheplanes', Obviously should the bracing connections 1.8 be extendeddirectly from each side of the car to the corresponding ends of'theplanes, this relative lateral movement of the parts could not beattained. However, by extending the connections 18 about the rollers 16at intermediate points, the parts 18 not only serve as braces but alsopermit the relative movement necessary to secure the result mentioned.It has been found desirable to have the rollers 16 made up of sectionsso that they will not interfere with the warping action of the planeshereinbefore described.

Although two propellers have been shown for the purpose of driving themachine, it is to be understood that one or more may be employed.

What is claimed is z 1. In an aeroplane, upper and lower sustainingplanes, a car extending between the middle portions of the planes,crossed flexible connections between the sides of the top portion of thecar and the ends of the upper sustaining plane, like connections betweenthe sides of the bottom of the car and the ends of the lower sustainingplane, and a roller supported by each-set of crossed flexibleconnections, said connections being wrapped there around.

2. In an aeroplane, upper and lower sustaining planes, a carextendingbetween the 7 sustaining plane,"a roller supported by each set ofconnections, said connections being wrapped therearound, said rollerbeing fiexlble.

i 3. In an aero )lane a sustainin lane a car thereunder, a set ofcrossed flexible eonneetions between the sides of the car and the endsof the sustaining plane, a roller supported by said crossed connections,the con nections being'wrapped about the roller, and means controlledfrom within the car for warping the sustaining plane throughout thelength thereof.

i. In an aeroplane, a car, a sustaining plane thereab ove and adapted toslide transversely across the car, means for tilting the sustainingplane relative to the car and irrespective of said sliding motion, andmeans for warping the plane throughout the length thereof.

5. In an aeroplane, an upper and a lower sustaining plane, a carextending between the middle portions of the planes, movable connectionsietween the car and planes, and means for simultaneously andcorrespondingly warping both planes throughout their lengths, saidplanes being independently shiftable relative to and transversely of thecar independently of the warping action.

6. In an aeroplane, the combination with a car, of sustaining planesextending above and below the car, each plane extending belinksconnecting the sides 0 the car with.-

the upper and lower planes, separately r'evoluble elements carried bythe car, means for actuating the respective elements, and connectionsbetween each of said elements and the adjacent end portions of thesustaining planes for shifting said planes bodily 5" relative to the carto tilt or to warp the planes.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' WALTER R. FULLER.

Witnesses:

O. H. PUCKETT, JAs. L. GIRARDE U.

